Folding stool



(No Model.)

, 'F. BENOIT.

FOLDING STOOL.

N0.. 486,075. Patented Nov. 15, 1892.

THE NORRIS rrrsns 0a., momuruq. WASHINGTON, 0. c.

NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

FREDRICK BENOIT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING STOOL.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 486,07 5, dated November 15, 1892.

Applicationfilecl November 12, 1891. $erial No. 411,657. (No model.)

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, FREDRIOK BENOIT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improve ment in Folding Stools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of folding stools which are adapted when folded to be used and carried as canes and is an improvement upon the construction of such stools set forth in my pending application, Serial No. 366,818.

The nature of the present improvement will be understood from the subjoined description and the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved stool. Fig. 2 is the seat portion of the same in the folded condition. Figs. 3 and 4: are partial central vertical sections, one showing the parts folded and the other open. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the outer end of one of the seat-arms. Fig. 6 is a plan of the hub to which the seat-arms are secured.

My invention resides in that part of the stool which forms the seat, and any suitable form of legs may be employed-such, for instance, as the three folding legs illustrated.

In the drawings, A represents the radiating seat-arms, hinged to a central hub B and supported at their ends by braces O, hinged to a body or hub D. The latteris supported by the folding legs or other suitable sustaining means.

In order to separate or spread the arms A when it is desired to unfold the stool,Iadopt the following construction: The inner stiffening-rib a of each of the arms is beveled off,

as shown at a, and the central button E is provided with a hollow shank or stem 6 and is made movable vertically centrally within hub B. A spring F is confined in the hollow stem of button E between the button and a cross-barf, secured in hub B, the sides of the stem E being slotted, as at f, for the passage of this cross-bar. The lower end of the stem 6 is adapted to engage with the beveled surfaces a. when the button is depressed, thus causing a spreading movement by the lower or outer ends of the seat-arms. When folded, the button is-thrown up automatically by the spring to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

the upper end of anupward extension (1 of the body D. In this upward extension is located a catch device G, acted upon by a spring g, and when the stem is moved down over said extension this catch enters one of the slots f in the stem, and thus locks the same to the body. To release this engage- I ment, the catch G is pushed upon by the finger at the projection g, which is exposed for this purpose.

The construction of the hub B will be fully understood from the drawings. It is provided with an annular recess 19, adapted to receive a pivotal wire m, serving as a means of attaching thereto all the seat-arms. The rims at each side of this annular recess are cut away at proper intervals to admit the seatarms. The hub is adapted to sustain all the pressure thrown upon the seat-arms as they rest upon the inner rim 1) and also to sustain the pivotal wire at each side of each arm and in close proximity thereto, so that said pivot can be made quite small and yet possess all necessary strength.

In order to render strong and rigid the seatarms, I find it desirable to connect their outer ends by a metallic connection, which may also serve in some measure as a seat or supporting surface. The construction of this connection which I have found to be most desirable consists of flat steel bars employed in pairs between each pair of arms, said bars being pivotally joined to each other and to the seat-arms, so as to adapt them to collapse or fold when the stool is folded. These bars are shown at H H and each pair of them is united together by the pivot-joint h, and one of each pair is pivoted to each of the seatarms by a pivot it. They possess great strength, regulate the distance between the seat-arms when unfolded, add much to the comfort in using the seat, and, being flexible, they yield to such an extent as to obviate breaking. The stool is also rendered much stronger. The bars lie nearly flush with the tops of the seat-bars and present a broad surface, thus adapted them to sustain some portion of the weight. The strains upon the seat-arms are also distributed by these marginal connections, so that if the greater portion of the weight is over some of the arms the burden imposed thereby is insome measure transmitted to the arms which are less heavily weighted. It is desirable that these outer connections of the seat-arms should be provided with some means whereby they may be automatically collapsed when the seat is to be folded, and a desirable way of accomplishing this is by providing upon each ofthe seat-arms a spring S,which will bear against one of the bars 1-1 and tend to throw it outwardly. WVhen the look upon the stem of bodyE is released, the inner ends of the arms are raised preparatory to folding, (and this operation is substantially the same as in the construction showninmyforinerapplication.) Thesprings S, acting each upon one of the bars l-I, tend to throw the united ends of each pair of said bars outwardly, so as to facilitate the drawing together of the outer ends of the seatarms.

hen the stool is folded, the bars H lie flatwise on the outside, and in this position they readily bend ortwist to conform to the rounded exterior of the folded stool and increase the diameter of the folded stool to a very trifling extent.

When the seat is spread and locked to the body, the parts are preferably under slight tension, so that when the catch G is released from its engagement with the stem of button E preparatory to folding the seat such tension, aided by the power of springs S, will act to throw the head and other central parts of the seat upwardly and off from the body, thus facilitating the folding operation and moving the parts partially toward their folded position.

I claim- 1. In a folding stool, the combination, with a central hub or support, of radiating seatarms pivotally mounted thereon and having inclined or cam surfaces on their inner sides between their pivots and free ends, and a plungerorslide mounted on said support and adapted to engage said surfaces to assist in unfolding the stool, substantially as set forth.

2. In a folding stool, the combination,with' the hinged seat-arms having inclined or cam surfaces between their hinges and free ends, of a plunger or slide adapted to engage said surfaces and provided at its upper end with an exterior handle or button by which it may be operated to assist in spreading the stool, substantially as set forth.

3. In a folding stool, the combination, with the seat-arms having inclined or cam surfaces, of a plunger or slide adapted to engage said surfaces to assist in spreading the stool, a spring operating on the plunger to hold it from engagement with said surfaces, and bars H, hinged to the outer ends of the arms and to each other between the arms, substantially as set forth.

at. The combination of the seat-arms, the hub to which the arms are joined, the movable button, and the hollow stem of the button with the body D and its locking-catch adapted to enter said stem, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a folding stool, of a seat having a central hub 13 and a downwardlymovable hollow stem e, supported insaid hub, with the body D and its locking-catch adapted to enter a slot in said stem and means for depressing the stem into engaging position with the body, substantially as set forth.

6. In a stool, the combination, with the seatarms adapted to fold, of flat bars II, of spring metal, hinged to said arms, connected by pivots 7L, and adapted to fold outward and downward and to permit such folding by bending, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with the folding seatarms, of flat elastic bars adapted to fold and hinged to said arms and to each other by pivots perpendicular to the supporting or seat surfaces of said arms and bars, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with the seat-arms and the connections at the outer ends thereof, of springs acting upon and assisting in folding said connections, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination, with the scat-arms and the connections H, of springs S, secured to the arms and bearing upon said connections, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination, in a folding stool, of a seat having fold ng arms, connecting-bars hinged thereto, and springs S, acting between said arms and bars to break the joints of the latter, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination, in a folding stool, of a seat embodying seat-arms, connections for the outer ends of said arms, and springs S, bearing upon said connections, with means for locking said seat to the body of the stool, said springs assisting in throwing oif the seat when the lock is released, substantially as set forth.

FREDRICK BENOIT. Witnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, EMMA HACK. 

